DISNEYSEA FASTPASS AND RIDE ADVICE for a clueless newbie

[RG3]

Hi all!
Headed to Tokyo DisneySea in a couple weeks.
1)I understand that their FastPass system uses physical tickets, wherein a guest may have only one FastPass at a time.


If I arrive in the morning and go to a ride to get a FastPass for much later in the day, can I not get FastPasses for any rides until then?
And, I heard something about fastpasses and QR codes—-do I need my phone for any of this?

2) Which rides are best/are without many serious drops?
I think we’re ruling out Tower of Terror in advance



Thanks so much in advance!!

 

[wongck]

The QR code is use on the Japaneses TDL app and it just scan the QR code at the FP entrance or you can also used my park tickets ( I did that to reduce battery drain).
The TDL app allows you to get a FP anywhere within the park. In any case, your park tickets also have a QR code behind it.

If you are using paper FP, you can still go to the FP kiosk near the attraction to get one. When I was there in Dec 2019, I saw they had 1 or 2 kiosk running only as the majority of the people will be using the app. For sure, you will get later FP returns times as you need to go to the FP kiosk whereas the TDL app users can do it anywhere within the park.

The rules are basically the same as that of DL ( ok I not been there for around 4 years now so.... ) basically you can get another FP when the current FP return time windows comes by or after 2 hours when you obtain your current FP. LOL.... May be someone can tells it better than me.

 

[LovesTimone]

So we are planning a trip...Nov. 2020... and I am just starting to research the parks...

from what I have read from others trip reports, website, blogs, and vlogs... and I hope that I have this right... Anyone if this is not right please correct me.

Once you get a FP... then 2 hours later you can get another fast pass, even if the first fast pass time has not open up yet...

9:00 am you get a FP for a ride and your return time for this ride is 2:00 pm... at 11:00 am you can get another FP... Right?.... This is the way I have been reading it...

As far as the shows... You can only try once a day for each show for the lottery...


With the app on your phone... this is still not clear to me... If I can use my US phone and download the Japanese disneyland app to it? ... so not sure how this is going to work...

My friends that visited in Nov... of last year... she said that she noticed on a couple of rides that it looked like they were putting in some type of FP set up, like for magic bands... her DD asked a CM and she was told, that is for getting ready for Olympic's... so with that said... I asked her did you take a picture of it... she said no, but it sorta looked like it...so that is neither here or there... anyone visited since Nov...

 

[MKTokyo]

You need a Japanese Disney account to use the app. You need a Japanese address to create a Japanese Disney account. So, you will not need your phone at all for that purpose.

My friends that visited in Nov... of last year... she said that she noticed on a couple of rides that it looked like they were putting in some type of FP set up, like for magic bands... her DD asked a CM and she was told, that is for getting ready for Olympic's... so with that said... I asked her did you take a picture of it... she said no, but it sorta looked like it...so that is neither here or there... anyone visited since Nov...

No MagicBands. US Disney doesn't have anything to do with the Tokyo parks. OLC licenses the characters & the name like SIx Flags used to license Looney Tunes. So, if OLC wanted to use proprietary tech that belongs to the Walt Disney Company, they would have to license that, too. Why would they bother doing that when most of their guests are locals who don't stay overnight at all, much less at official hotels? (I think Disneyland CA doesn't use MagicBands for the same reason.)

 

[LovesTimone]

You need a Japanese Disney account to use the app. You need a Japanese address to create a Japanese Disney account. So, you will not need your phone at all for that purpose.


No MagicBands. US Disney doesn't have anything to do with the Tokyo parks. OLC licenses the characters & the name like SIx Flags used to license Looney Tunes. So, if OLC wanted to use proprietary tech that belongs to the Walt Disney Company, they would have to license that, too. Why would they bother doing that when most of their guests are locals who don't stay overnight at all, much less at official hotels? (I think Disneyland CA doesn't use MagicBands for the same reason.)

So if I want to create a Japanese Disney Account, and I live in the US... is there a way for me to do this?

and if this can be done...

Then I can download the app to my phone to use when we are there... ?

 

[MKTokyo]

So if I want to create a Japanese Disney Account, and I live in the US... is there a way for me to do this?

and if this can be done...

Then I can download the app to my phone to use when we are there... ?

There isn't. TOS restrict to residents of Japan.

 

[kbmartin]

So if I want to create a Japanese Disney Account, and I live in the US... is there a way for me to do this?

and if this can be done...

Then I can download the app to my phone to use when we are there... ?

There is a way to do this, but supposedly it's a huge pain. I'm waiting until right before my trip to do this in case they finally make an English-friendly one (don't want to waste my time!). TDR Explorer should have detailed instructions on how to do this AND how to obtain Fastpasses using the app.

 

[Agent 86]

P.S. As for the "best" rides - that's hard to say. As you don't like "drops", does that rule out all thrill rides? E.g. Journey to the Centre of the Earth?

For Disneyland, you'll be aiming for the new Beauty and the Beast attraction as that will still be crazy popular when you visit. After that, Winnie the Pooh and Monsters Inc still seem to be pretty popular. Of the two, Pooh is far superior.

For DisneySea, the new Soaring will likely still be the most popular attraction. Toy Story Mania, Journey and Tower of Terror are the other popular rides at DisneySea for which Fast Passes quickly run out.

 

[LovesTimone]

There is a way to do this, but supposedly it's a huge pain. I'm waiting until right before my trip to do this in case they finally make an English-friendly one (don't want to waste my time!). TDR Explorer should have detailed instructions on how to do this AND how to obtain Fastpasses using the app.

Thanks so much I will be checking this out...

 

[RG3]

OP here, thank you so much for all of your advice!! This is so helpful!
We will definitely just get there at park opening (not staying on property) and head quickly to our first FastPass.

Which begs the question: To which attraction should we head first for FastPasses: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Soarin, OR head to the gondolas to beat the line?
Or, if it was just between JTTCOTE and Soarin', which should we head to first?

Agent86: We were definitely planning Journey to the Center of the Earth----does it have large drops?

THANK YOU all so much, this has been an incredible help thus far

 

[Linkura]

OP here, thank you so much for all of your advice!! This is so helpful!
We will definitely just get there at park opening (not staying on property) and head quickly to our first FastPass.

Which begs the question: To which attraction should we head first for FastPasses: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Soarin, OR head to the gondolas to beat the line?
Or, if it was just between JTTCOTE and Soarin', which should we head to first?

Agent86: We were definitely planning Journey to the Center of the Earth----does it have large drops?

THANK YOU all so much, this has been an incredible help thus far

Soaring is 100% #1 FP priority if you're doing it, then TSM, then COTE, then ToT.

Personally, I have zero interest in Soaring and TSM, so I will be rope-dropping COTE and getting ToT for my first FP.

 

[Agent 86]

OP here, thank you so much for all of your advice!! This is so helpful!
We will definitely just get there at park opening (not staying on property) and head quickly to our first FastPass.

Which begs the question: To which attraction should we head first for FastPasses: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Soarin, OR head to the gondolas to beat the line?
Or, if it was just between JTTCOTE and Soarin', which should we head to first?

Agent86: We were definitely planning Journey to the Center of the Earth----does it have large drops?

THANK YOU all so much, this has been an incredible help thus far

It would be best to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled opening time. If possible, it would be preferable to arrive 60 minutes before opening. The Fast Passes go extremely quickly, so if you only "arrive" at opening, by the time you line up, enter the park and get to the Fast Pass distribution machine ... there may not be any Fast Passes left.

You should definitely grab a Fast Pass for Soaring first - if you want to ride it.

Journey has a single medium / large "drop" at the end of the ride. You can actually "see" the drop from across the harbour if you want to judge how big it is. I don't find it particularly "large", but obviously everyone is different.

Gondolas are generally fine to ride at any time. The wait shouldn't be too extreme - maybe a maximum of ... 40 minutes? But, beware that they do "close" during harbour shows and they also close pretty early. I know that we've tried to time a "night time" gondola ride a couple of times, but missed that golden window of opportunity before they close for the day.

If you do miss out on the gondola, there is still the Steamer Line which you could ride. It's obviously not quite the same, but still enjoyable.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Which begs the question: To which attraction should we head first for FastPasses: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Soarin, OR head to the gondolas to beat the line?
Or, if it was just between JTTCOTE and Soarin', which should we head to first?

Soaring is the priority (Only the US versions use the apostrophe, the Asian versions keep the g). If you aren't using the app, I suggest going straight to the Soaring FP and getting in the standby line if the FP are already gone. Depending on how early you are, it should be somewhere between a 30 and 120 minute wait at rope drop. If you get the fastpass, you can walk a bit further to Journey and get on that within 30 minutes.

Gondola wait times are very contingent on when it closes for the harbor shows and the "unscheduled" show of Pixar Pals Steamer. Other than rope drop it'll usually be shortest a bit after the last show of Pixar Playtime Pals but you'll have to watch the time for sunset if you want to ride it during the day.

If you have Happy 15, you should have no problems securing a Soaring FP and then do whatever ride you wish.